Cleansing Fire

Defending Truth and Tradition in the Roman Catholic Church

Posts Tagged ‘Pontifical High Mass’

Another Pontifical Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine

December 21st, 2010, Promulgated by Abaccio

The Paulus Institute, which previously sponsored last year’s Solemn Pontifical High Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception last April, has announced that it will do so again, this year commemorating the 6th anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s inauguration.

The Mass will take place Saturday, April 9, 2011, and the celebrant will be His Excellency Archbishop Joseph Di Noia, Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments (that is, 2nd in command of the CDW).  Archbishop Di Noia (an American, born in New York City) previously served as under-secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

This will be a liturgical treat, and a rarely seen one at that.  Since this will take place on the Saturday of the fourth week of  Lent, a greater degree of solemnity will be observed–while there will be choir and schola on hand, no Gloria or instrumentation will take place.

CleansingFire’s coverage of this event last year can be found here.

More details can be found on their website.

Pontifical High Mass – Part II

April 29th, 2010, Promulgated by Gen

The following is taken from Fish Eaters, and would prove beneficial to anyone unaccustomed with this amount of liturgical dignity. The truly moving thing here in the photos is that you will notice that, along with the properly vested ministers, the laity are dressed modestly and respectfully.

Keep in mind that this is written from a strictly Latin Mass perspective – however, much of it can and should be transferred to our practices at the Ordinary Form liturgies we attend.





The basic idea of how we should behave in Church is summed up by the Second Council of Lyons, A.D. 1274:


It is fitting that He Whose abode has been established in peace should be worshipped in peace and with due reverence. Churches, then, should be entered humbly and devoutly; behaviour inside should be calm, pleasing to God, bringing peace to the beholders, a source not only of instruction but of mental refreshment. Those who assemble in church should extol with an act of special reverence that Name which is above every Name, than which no other under Heaven has been given to people, in which believers must be saved, the Name, that is, of Jesus Christ, Who will save His people from their sins. Each should fulfil in himself that which is written for all, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow; whenever that glorious Name is recalled, especially during the sacred Mysteries of the Mass, everyone should bow the knees of his heart, which he can do even by a bow of his head. In churches the sacred solemnities should possess the whole heart and mind; the whole attention should be given to prayer.



Attire



People have no problem, it seems, dressing for weddings, funerals, office parties, or dates — but seem to think that dressing to meet Almighty God at the Mass is pass?. But dressing for Mass is simply a matter of showing proper respect, not only for God, but for others around you. It’s certainly not a matter of showing off one’s finery — lots of people don’t even have fine clothes. Certainly, too, some people may attend certain Masses — say the 5:30 PM Masses — on their way home from their construction jobs. Fine! There is nothing to worry about in these things! Never let circumstances out of your control make you feel embarrassed or keep you away from the Sacraments! But one should always wear clothes that are modest, and, if possible, all things being equal, clean and the nicest clothes one has.

Below are some guidelines for proper attire (which also apply for other liturgies, such as Eucharistic Adoration or the Divine Office, etc.):





Shorts & Sweats: Just say no.


Blue Jeans: Nice blue jeans can be “OK” (but just OK), especially if dressed up, but are not ideal. But if jeans are all you have, by golly, wear jeans!


Ties and Jackets: Typical for men and considered the mark of the “well-dressed” in the West. If you have no suit or jacket, then come in the best you have, if possible.


Head Coverings: Laymen never wear hats in churches (except for rare ceremonial reasons on the part of some confraternities and lay associations).

On the other hand, women do cover their heads and have from the very first day of the Church. Please read more about veiling here. Some parishes and chapels will have veils available for women who don’t have one.


Special to Women: Like men, women should wear their “Sunday best,” which in the West is typically considered to be a dress or skirt. Hemlines should cover the knees when standing and sitting, shoulders should be covered (i.e., “tank top” dresses and spaghetti straps are not kosher), and necklines should be modest. If you have no dress or skirt, then wear the best outfit you have, if possible.

Just a note on lipstick: if you wear some, be sure to blot really well before kissing icons, statues, the priest’s hands, etc. (“Oprah ‘Girlfriend’ Tip”: get the kind that doesn’t “kiss off” or smudge…)


Cell Phones/Pagers: Turn them off.

Etiquette

  • This is beyond “etiquette,” but I will note here that you are to fast before receiving the Eucharist, and are to refrain from receiving the Eucharist if you are in a state of mortal sin. If you are a public, unrepentant sinner, the priest has every right and duty to not offer you the Body of Christ.
     

  • General deportment in a church and at the Mass should be based on these Truths:
     

  • Christ is present in the tabernacle. Therefore, respect the sanctuary as the holiest area of the church; it is the Holy of Holies.
     

  • During the Mass, we are at the foot of the Cross, witnessing the re-presentation of the Sacrifice at Calvary. How would you behave if you could see, in a way very apparent to the senses, Christ on the Cross, pouring out His Blood for you? What sort of gratitude and reverence would you exhibit? Look upon the Mass with the eyes of faith, and know that the all too common focus on the Mass only or primarily as “celebratory meal” or a “happy gathering” is in no way Catholic and in no way represents the Truth of what the Mass is.
     

  • If you’re not shy, greet newcomers outside or in the Narthex (NOT in the church itself!) as they come in or leave. Make them feel welcome; learn their names. Give them eye contact, a warm handshake, a friendly pat on the back. Introduce them to the priest after Mass if they haven’t already met. Let them know they are welcome, wanted, and entering the House of God. If they are new parishioners, talk to them sometime about events and associations in your parish. Go out of your way to make them feel at home. (Of course, on the other hand, some people are loners or are in very contemplative moods before Mass or just like to go to Mass and be left alone. Use your intuition and respect their wishes — but a smile never hurt a loner, either!)
     

  • When you enter the Church, cross yourself with Holy Water and thank God for the grace given to you at Baptism. When you reach your pew, genuflect toward the Tabernacle in the Sanctuary before sitting down.
     

  • Keep sacred silence in the church. Avoid unecessary conversation and keep necessary conversation to a very low whisper. The Church is a lot holier than a library, eh?
     

  • Please try to be on time for Mass! Sometimes things can’t be helped, without doubt — cars break down, babies need changing, alarm clocks fail to go off — but chronic lateness for the Mass is rude and disruptive.
     

  • Confession: If you go to Confession right before Mass, let the priest know how many people are in line behind you for the Confessional. If you have an extremely long confession to make and there are many people behind you and Mass begins soon, mention only mortal sins or make your confession at a later date (and do NOT receive the Eucharist if any of the sins you need to confess are mortal!).

    When someone is in the Confessional, keep a very wide berth of it. It’s very, very rude — very rude — to stand anywhere near the Confessional when it is in use by another. (I always put a hand over my ear that faces the Confessional if I have to pass by it and someone is in there with the priest. It’s not that one can overhear what is going on inside the Confessional — I never have, at least — but it helps signal to others that the Confessional is a very safe, private place that all Catholics understand needs to be respected as such).
     

  • Children: Children sometimes can’t help making a bit of noise at Mass — but it’s usually the kind of noise we Catholics love to hear (what’s better than new Catholics, especially little tiny ones?). If your child is out of control, though, or disruptive enough to distract people or makes it hard for others to hear or contemplate, take him to the Narthex, the “Cry Room,” or outside. Remember, too, that an acceptable level of noise to you as a parent might be one thing because you are so used to hearing your children that you take their sounds for granted; others might find that same noise very distracting. And, please, don’t let your children kick the backs of the pews or turn around and stare at people behind them.

    Note that children under the age of reason (7 years old) aren’t required to assist at Mass, so, while it is extremely laudable to bring children of ALL ages to Mass, it is also OK to leave them at home, too, if it makes things easier on you or if they are particularly cranky or boisterous one day (my prayer, though, is that parents do bring their children to Mass as often as possible!).

    It might be best if couples with tiny infants and very young toddlers sat in the back of the church and at the end of the pew, if possible, so that if you must leave to tend to your children, your departure won’t be distracting. Children who are old enough to pay some attention, though, might be better off sitting in front so that they can watch more closely what the priest and altar boys do. This will not only help them learn about the Mass, but will keep their attention occupied so they’ll be less restive. Children who are old enough to read should have children’s missals so they can follow along.

    Encourage your child’s attention at the Mass by teaching him and by asking him questions beforehand, giving him things to watch for. As an example, you could ask him: how many times the priest makes the Sign of the Cross during the Mass, and let him try to count them; what side of the Altar the priest chants the Epistle from; at what times the bells ring; how often the exchange “Dominus vobiscum” and “Et cum spiritu tuo” is made; to discover what his favorite chanted melody is and what the words mean, etc. Ask him to look and listen for things that help us to know what liturgical season it is, for example the presence or absence of the alleluia or gloria, the liturgical colors used, etc.

    Have him listen to the priest’s sermon and to the Gospel readings, and then have him repeat it back to you at the after-Mass breakfast or during supper. Ask him questions about what he heard during the sermon and Gospel readings, what it means, what he thinks about what he heard, what questions he might have, to draw pictures that depict today’s Gospel, etc. Make these exchanges fun and interesting, though; we don’t want “Church” to be seen as a chore or a bore, and the child shouldn’t feel as if he’s being put through an inquisition.
      

  • Do not chew gum or bring food or drinks into the church. The only exceptions are discreetly breastfeeding or giving a bottle to an infant (or, of course, rare medical emergencies such as giving water to a person reviving from having fainted, etc. True charity trumps all law, and law exists to serve charity.).
     

  • Never applaud in church for any reason.
     

  • Do not pray in the orans position (with arms extended upwards or outwards) during the liturgy. Though it is an ancient,
    natural, and beautiful prayer posture — rather like a child reaching up to his Father — and though it is commonly seen among the laity in the Novus Ordo Mass, it is a posture reserved for priests during the properly-offered Mass. Pray in the orans position all you want at home.
     

  • During the Offertory (the very first part of the Mass of the Faithful) is when the collection is taken. Have your offering prepared before you get to church and ready to pull out at this time. The ushers will move from the front of the church to the back, away from the Altar. How much to give is left to your discretion, as we are not bound by the Old Testament laws of tithing but are bound, as a precept of the Church, to support the Church as a general command.
     

  • If you’re not receiving the Eucharist, be sure to raise the kneeler, if necessary, and make room for people to cross in front of you so they can go stand in line.
     

  • When you receive the Host, don’t chew on it like it’s a piece of steak; let it soften in your mouth, then swallow. One does not respond “Amen” or with any gesture but the Sign of the Cross after receiving the Host, unlike in the Novus Ordo.
     

  • After receiving Communion, keep a “custody of the eyes.” Walk back to your seat with eyes in front of you, toward the floor. The most traditional posture after receving Communion is to walk with your hands in the “prayer position” — palms together, fingers pointing upward, held at chest level. When you reach your pew, it is customary to kneel after Communion.

    Both before and after you’ve received, maintain this “custody of the eyes” and don’t watch people as they return to their seats. Though the Eucharist unites us into one Body, it is, paradoxically, a very intimate time that calls for intense gratitude and individual contemplation (you may see people cover their faces with their hands or veils for a sense of privacy).
     

  • The Mass is not truly over until the priest has left the Altar. Don’t sneak out after Communion.
     

  • When it is time to leave (i.e., after the priest has descended from the Altar and left the building), those sitting in the front pews generally leave first (“first in, first out”). This order should be maintained because we genuflect upon leaving our pew — and we shouldn’t be genuflecting toward some guy walking toward us down the aisle or blocking his exit. When you do exit your pew to leave the church, genuflect once again toward the Tabernacle. Some Catholics also again sign themselves with Holy Water when leaving the Church (a perfectly fine, pious custom, but one which isn’t related to the historically-rooted purposes of blessing oneself upon entering the church).
     

  • Non-Catholic Guests: If you bring a non-Catholic guest to Mass, explain to him the meaning of the Mass, its parts, what to expect, etc, beforehand. And definitely explain to him lovingly, before you arrive at church, why he is not allowed to receive the Eucharist. Assure him that he is most welcome, and that we are glad he is with us, but that we Catholics know that the apparent “Bread and Wine” is truly the very Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ. Tell him that if that is not how he sees it, we believe he would be eating and drinking judgement on himself — 1 Corinthians 11:29 — and that we would be absolutely remiss in allowing him to receive the Eucharist without discerning the Body of Christ. Explain that even if he does believe it, Catholics who are not in a state of grace and young Latin Catholics who haven’t yet been properly prepared for their “First Communion” don’t receive the Eucharist, so it’s nothing personal.

    …and if he does believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, teach him about the rest of Catholic teaching and get him to convert!
     

  • Refraining from judgementalism: Do not sit in judgement of those who come to Mass not knowing the proper attire and etiquette (I speak here of the good-willed who are simply ignorant, not public, persistent, unrepentant sinners who use the Mass for political purposes, who flaunt Divine Law intentionally, etc. Even with these people, we are to refrain from personal judgements and are to love them in Truth, even as we judge their actions and protect our Church).

    Instruct those who are new to the Church gently and lovingly — and mostly by good example. Ideally, churches and chapels will have the basic expectations written somewhere in the Narthex, in parish bulletins, in pamphlets in the pews, etc, but in any case, dirty looks and an accusing tone hurled at a newcomer are uncalled for; much more Christian — and effective — is a simple, “Ah! You’re new here! Welcome! It’s great that you’re here! Here is some information that will help you feel comfortable at this parish; please, if you have any questions, just ask!” — all wrapped up in a warm, genuine smile.

    Instead of thrusting a veil at an unveiled woman and looking at her as though she’s the devil incarnate, give her a big smile and a “Oh, sister, you don’t have a veil? Here’s one that would look pretty on you!” or some other such thing (assuming you can speak genuinely). If she isn’t receptive, just mind your own danged business and let Father deal with it his way.

    Finally, don’t assume the ill-dressed even have better clothes or were in the circumstance of being able to access better clothes (maybe they’d been in an hospital waiting room all night, who knows? None of your business!). While we do owe our Lord our best, the Mass isn’t a fashion show, and we’ve lost the Christian message entirely if we are are “like to whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful but within are full of dead men’s bones and of all filthiness” — which sitting in judgement of other people without knowing their situation and acting like holier-than-thou Pharisees would make us.

  • Bishop Slattery’s Homily – the Audio Edition

    April 26th, 2010, Promulgated by Gen

    Below are two videos with audio of Bishop Slattery’s homily provided by Fr. Z. It is an absolutely amazing homily, and I know this is entirely redundant, but I should like you to listen to his words. The sublime beauty of the truths he speaks is unable to be expressed by anyone relating this thing second-hand.


    There is a slight error in the audio track for Part I which will cause it to skip for a few moments, then start over. All of this is done by 1:05, though. Don’t worry.

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_IW4lFjHh0]

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvsUXTvzSgQ]

    The Entrance Procession for the Pontifical High Mass

    April 26th, 2010, Promulgated by Gen

    Below is the footage I shot, in two parts, of the entrance procession. As Sr. Emily pointed out, these are meant to be viewed in a fullscreen format – it’s HD. Enjoy!

    Note that you can see DoR seminarian Peter Mottola about half way through in the first video. He is in the choir portion of the procession.

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DcJUmgtyZE]

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M17WYO31sFk]

    “We spoke of the Truth” – Bishop Slattery’s Moving Sermon

    April 25th, 2010, Promulgated by Gen

    The highlight of the Mass, for me, was Bishop Slattery’s absolutely moving sermon, focusing on suffering, obedience, and perseverance. No words of mine can do justice to this man’s eloquence, moved by his undeniable love for the Catholic Church, unpolluted by error, and for his love of the Church’s Divine Spouse, Jesus Christ. Please read this beautiful piece. I have highlighted certain portions which are particularly moving.

    We have much to discuss – you and I ?

    ? much to speak of on this glorious occasion when we gather together in the glare of the world?s scrutiny to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the ascension of Joseph Ratzinger to the throne of Peter.

    We must come to understand how it is that suffering can reveal the mercy of God and make manifest among us the consoling presence of Jesus Christ, crucified and now risen from the dead.


    We must speak of this mystery today, first of all because it is one of the great mysteries of revelation, spoken of in the New Testament and attested to by every saint in the Church?s long history, by the martyrs with their blood, by the confessors with their constancy, by the virgins with their purity and by the lay faithful of Christ?s body by their resolute courage under fire.

    But we must also speak clearly of this mystery because of the enormous suffering which is all around us and which does so much to determine the culture of our modern age.
    From the enormous suffering of His Holiness these past months to the suffering of the Church?s most recent martyrs in India and Africa, welling up from the suffering of the poor and the dispossessed and the undocumented, and gathering tears from the victims of abuse and neglect, from women who have been deceived into believing that abortion was a simple medical procedure and thus have lost part of their soul to the greed of the abortionist, and now flowing with the heartache of those who suffer from cancer, diabetes, AIDS, or the emotional diseases of our age, it is the sufferings of our people that defines the culture of our modern secular age.



    This enormous suffering which can take on so many varied physical, mental, and emotional forms will reduce us to fear and trembling – if we do not remember that Christ – our Pasch – has been raised from the dead. Our pain and anguish could dehumanize us, for it has the power to close us in upon ourselves such that we would live always in chaos and confusion – if we do not remember that Christ – our hope – has been raised for our sakes. Jesus is our Pasch, our hope and our light.


    He makes himself most present in the suffering of his people and this is the mystery of which we must speak today, for when we speak of His saving presence and proclaim His infinite love in the midst of our suffering, when we seek His light and refuse to surrender to the darkness, we receive that light which is the life of men; that light which, as Saint John reminds us in the prologue to his Gospel, can never be overcome by the darkness, no matter how thick, no matter how choking.


    Our suffering is thus transformed by His presence. It no longer has the power to alienate or isolate us. Neither can it dehumanize us nor destroy us. Suffering, however long and terrible it may be, has only the power to reveal Christ among us, and He is the mercy and the forgiveness of God.


    The mystery then, of which we speak, is the light that shines in the darkness, Christ Our Lord, Who reveals Himself most wondrously to those who suffer so that suffering and death can do nothing more than bring us to the mercy of the Father.


    But the point which we must clarify is that Christ reveals Himself to those who suffer in Christ, to those who humbly accept their pain as a personal sharing in His Passion and who are thus obedient to Christ?s command that we take up our cross and follow Him. Suffering by itself is simply the promise that death will claim these mortal bodies of ours, but suffering in Christ is the promise that we will be raised with Christ, when our mortality will be remade in his immortality and all that in our lives which is broken because it is perishable and finite will be made imperishable and incorrupt.


    This is the meaning of Peter?s claim that he is a witness to the sufferings of Christ and thus one who has a share in the glory yet to be revealed. Once?Peter grasped the overwhelming truth of this mystery, his life was changed. The world held nothing for Peter. For him, there was only Christ.


    This is, as you know, quite a dramatic shift for the man who three times denied Our Lord, the man to whom Jesus said, ?Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.?


    Christ?s declaration to Peter that he would be the rock, the impregnable foundation, the mountain of Zion upon which the new Jerusalem would be constructed, follows in Matthew?s Gospel Saint Peter?s dramatic profession of faith, when the Lord asks the Twelve, ?Who do people say that I am?? and Peter, impulsive as always, responds ?You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.?

    Only later – much later – would Peter come to understand the full implication of this first Profession of Faith. Peter would still have to learn that to follow Christ, to truly be His disciple, one must let go of everything which the world considers valuable and necessary, and become powerless. This is the mystery which confounds independent Peter. It is the mystery which still confounds us: to follow Christ, one must surrender everything and become obedient with the obedience of Christ, for no one gains access to the Kingdom of the Father, unless he enter through the humility and the obedience of Jesus.



    Peter had no idea that eventually he would find himself fully accepting this obedience, joyfully accepting his share in the Passion and Death of Christ. But Peter loved Our Lord and love was the way by which Peter learned how to obey. ?Lord, you know that I love thee,??Peter affirms three times with tears; and three times Christ commands him to tend to the flock that gathers at the foot of Calvary – and that is where we are now.


    Peter knew that Jesus was the true Shepherd, the one Master and the only teacher; the rest of us are learners and the lesson we must learn is obedience, obedience unto death. Nothing less than this, for only when we are willing to be obedient with the very obedience of Christ will we come to recognize Christ?s presence among us.


    Obedience is thus the heart of the life of the disciple and the key to suffering in Christ and with Christ. This obedience, it must be said, is quite different from obedience the way it is spoken of and dismissed in the world.


    For those in the world, obedience is a burden and an imposition. It is the way by which the powerful force the powerless to do obeisance. Simply juridical and always external, obedience is the bending that breaks, but a breaking which is still less painful than the punishment meted out for disobedience. Thus for those in the world obedience is a punishment which must be avoided; but for Christians, obedience is always personal, because it is centered on Christ. It is a surrender to Jesus Whom we love.


    For those whose lives are centered in Christ, obedience is that movement which the heart makes when it leaps in joy having once discovered the truth.


    Let us consider, then, that Christ has given us both the image of his obedience and the action by which we are made obedient.


    The image of Christ?s obedience is His Sacred Heart. That Heart, exposed and wounded must give us pause, for man?s heart it generally hidden and secret. In the silence of his own heart, each of us discovers the truth of who we are, the truth of why we are silent when we should speak, or bothersome and quarrelsome when we should be silent. In our hidden recesses of the heart, we come to know the impulses behind our deeds and the reasons why we act so often as cowards and fools.


    But while man?s heart is generally silent and secret, the Heart of the God-Man is fully visible and accessible. It too reveals the motives behind our Lord?s self-surrender. It was obedience to the Father?s will that mankind be reconciled and our many sins forgiven us. ?Son though he was,? the Apostle reminds us, ?Jesus learned obedience through what He suffered.? Obedient unto death, death on a cross, Jesus asks his Father to forgive us that God might reveal the full depth of his mercy and love. ?Father, forgive them,? he prayed, ?for they know not what they do.?


    Christ?s Sacred Heart is the image of the obedience which Christ showed by his sacrificial love on Calvary. The Sacrifice of Calvary is also for us the means by which we are made obedient and this is a point which you must never forget: at Mass, we offer ourselves to the Father in union with Christ, who offers Himself in perfect obedience to the Father. We make this offering in obedience to Christ who commanded us to ?Do this in memory of me? and our obediential offering is perfected in the love with which the Father receives the gift of His Son.


    Do not be surprised then that here at Mass, our bloodless offering of the bloody sacrifice of Calvary is a triple act of obedience. First, Christ is obedient to the Father, and offers Himself as a sacrifice of reconciliation. Secondly, we are obedient to Christ and offer ourselves to the Father with Jesus the Son; and thirdly, in sharing Christ?s obedience to the Father, we are made obedient to a new order of reality, in which love is supreme and life reigns eternal, in which suffering and death have been defeated by becoming for us the means by which Christ?s final victory, his future coming, is made manifest and real today.


    Suffering then, yours, mine, the Pontiffs, is at the heart of personal holiness, because it is our sharing in the obedience of Jesus which reveals his glory. It is the means by which we are made witnesses of his suffering and sharers in the glory to come.


    Do not be dismayed that there many in the Church have not yet grasped this point, and fewer still in the world will even consider it. You know this to be true and ten men who whisper the truth speak louder than a hundred million who lie.


    If then someone asks of what we spoke today, tell them we spoke of the truth. If someone asks why it is you came to this Mass, say that it was so that you could be obedient with Christ. If someone
    asks about the homily, tell them it was about a mystery and if someone asks what I said of the present situation, tell them only that we must – all of us – become saints.

    When we hear words such as these, and bring them into our hearts, we cannot help but feel the joy of knowing that what we are doing is the right thing. We are obedient, not to dissent and fraction, but to Tradition and wholeness. It is absolutely beyond me how Bishop Slattery and Bishop Clark are both bishops, both ranking the same in the eyes of man, and the eyes of God, and the eyes of the Church. And yet, Bishop Slattery travels hundreds of miles to say a Pontifical High Mass at the National Shrine, drawing thousands of people. What does Bishop Clark do? He sits in dissenting silence, loving the darkness, and fearing the light of orthodoxy. There is no future in dissent, and those who cling to the notions of self-importance, of hollow “reform,” of everything contrary to the heart of the Church, will find themselves cast off into the shadows of the past. They are irrelevant.

    Let us look forward, out of these current depths of darkness and depravity, and gaze on Him who is above all.

    Pontifical Mass – Part I

    April 25th, 2010, Promulgated by Gen

    Over the course of the next several days, I will be uploading much of the footage I shot at the Pontifical High Mass, along with several photos and stories accrued along the way.

    The first thing I would like very much to share with you is the precious gem of the “cappa magna” worn by one of the bishops whose name escapes me as I write this. It wasn’t Bishop Slattery, and it certainly wasn’t Bishop Clark.

    What, you may ask, is a “cappa magna”? It is a special vestment worn by bishops and other high-ranking church officials, and which wikipedia describes as thus:

    The cappa magna (literally, “great cape”), a form of mantle, is a voluminous ecclesiastical vestment with a long train, proper to cardinals, bishops, and certain other honorary prelates.
    The cappa magna is not strictly a liturgical vestment, but only a glorified cappa choralis, or choir cope. That is to say, it is not used when vested as a celebrant at a liturgical service. It is worn in processions or “in choir” (i.e., attending but not celebrating services). Its colour for cardinals is ordinarily red and for bishops violet. Cardinals and papal nuncios are entitled to wear a cappa magna of watered silk.

    The cappa magna is ample in volume and provided with a long train and a disproportionately large hood, the lining of the hood used to be of ermine in winter and silk in summer, and was made in such a way as to completely cover not only the back, but also the breast and shoulders. The hood is functional and in earlier times was often placed on the head and covered with the galero. This used to be the custom when the pope created a new cardinal at a consistory. Nowadays, the hood is normally worn over the head only during penitential rites. Previously, cardinals who were members of specific religious orders would wear a cappa magna in the color of their order. Nowadays, all cardinals wear red.
    It is now rarely used, since the 1969 Instruction on the Dress, Titles and Coats-of-arms of Cardinals, Bishops and Lesser Prelates lays down that:

    The cappa magna, always without ermine, is no longer obligatory; it can be used only outside of Rome, in circumstances of very special solemnity. (? 12)

    However, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem still uses the ermine-lined winter cappa, because he is bound by the complex and unalterable rules of the status quo, an 1852 Ottoman firman which regulates the delicate relations between the various religious groups which care for the religious sites in the Holy Land. This anomaly is most evident at the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve in Bethlehem. The cappa magna is also still used among groups using the Tridentine Mass.

    This is the video I shot of the cappa magna being used in procession before the Mass. I dare say that I had a better vantage for this particular shot than did the EWTN camera crew.

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXtO1_c7uE8]

    I am certain that certain ones among you may be thinking to yourselves, “Gee, this seems like lavish excess. Jesus wouldn’t wear a cappa magna. In fact, I’m pretty sure they didn’t even have watered silk in those days . . . ” Consider, then, this counter-question: Does not the United States spare no expense in building and maintaining its embassies world-wide? There will be a new one built in London at a cost of $1,000,000,000. Why? Because it is the representative of the United States in that particular country. We spare no expense because we have the ability to spare no expense – it shows how much we care. And yet, even though we spend money on such things, we are one of the most philanthropic nations on Earth.

    The same is precisely true of the Catholic Church. Each church is the house of God – things like this cappa magna lend an air of majesty to it.